Genk vs Dinamo Zagreb – News and Probable Lineups

As they aim for a place in the Europa League’s round of 16, Belgian club Genk will face Croatian heavyweights Dinamo Zagreb at Cegeka Arena on Thursday for the second leg of their knockout playoff.

Having secured a 3-1 victory in the first leg, Racing are in a favorable position, with hopes of pulling off an upset during the midweek fixture.

Match overview

Nicky Hayen’s Genk performed well towards the end of the league phase, coming into this match in decent form overall, despite suffering a 3-0 loss to Standard Liege on Sunday.

This disappointing defeat against their Belgian Pro League rivals meant Racing missed the chance to break into the top six, worsening their situation as star player Konstantinos Karetsas had to leave the match with a concussion late in the game.

Despite this setback, it marked only their first loss in eight matches, ending a commendable five-match winning streak across all competitions that included their first-leg triumph.

In last Thursday’s encounter, Genk quickly gained a two-goal advantage through efforts from midfielder Bryan Heynen and right-back Zakaria El Ouahdi.

Dinamo managed to score one before halftime, but the Belgian side regained control of the tie when Ouahdi netted their third in the 90th minute.

Nevertheless, this week’s hosts have had inconsistent results at home this season, and the fact that they have only managed two wins at their ground since November – alongside four losses and two draws – is a significant concern for some supporters.

Conversely, more optimistic fans might argue that the club was unlucky not to qualify for the round of 16 outright, having finished level on points with eighth-placed Roma, showcasing their superiority in this matchup.

Meanwhile, Mario Kovacevic’s Dinamo are viewed as the underdogs this week, not just because of their first-leg deficit, but also due to their unimpressive performances in the Europa League thus far.

In contrast to their opponents, the Blues finished 23rd in the league phase, narrowly advancing to the knockout playoff round with just one point above 25th-placed Young Boys, who were eliminated after not meeting the cut-off.

However, it would be misleading to suggest that Kovacevic’s team has no chance of turning this tie around, considering that their loss to Genk was their sole defeat in the last five matches.

Moreover, the club has maintained an impressive three clean sheets in their last four outings across all competitions, and notably scored at least three goals in each of three matches this month – a fourth performance like this on Thursday could see them through to the round of 16.

Their strong performances have placed Dinamo comfortably atop the Croatian HNL table, five points ahead of second-placed Hajduk Split, instilling confidence in traveling fans that their team can overcome the odds.

Further boosting that sentiment is the fact that the Blues have lost only once away from home since late November, with four wins and one draw during that period.

Team News

Genk’s squad is generally healthy for this encounter, although 18-year-old forward Konstantinos Karetsas will miss out following a mild concussion suffered against Liege on Sunday.

In his place, Junya Ito is expected to begin as part of Hayen’s attacking trio, joining striker Aaron Bibout and fellow winger Yaimar Medina.

For Dinamo, they will be without striker Dion Beljo due to suspension from a yellow card received in the first leg, along with loanee midfielder Ismael Bennacer, who is out due to a calf injury.

With this in mind, Monsef Bakrar is likely to start up front, supported by Fran Topic and Arber Hoxha, while Josip Misic, Miha Zajc, and Luka Stojkovic are anticipated to occupy the midfield.

Additionally, Scott McKenna and Sergi Dominguez Viloria are expected to play in the central defense of Kovacevic’s setup, replacing centre-back Raul Torrente, who has been sidelined for the entire season so far as he recovers from an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in May 2025.

Genk probable starting XI:

Lawal; El Ouahdi, Sadick, Smets, Kayembe; Heymans, Heynen, Steuckers; Ito, Bibout, Medina

Dinamo Zagreb probable starting XI:

Livakovic; Valincic, McKenna, Dominguez, Perez Vinlof; Stojkovic, Misic, Zajc; Topic, Bakrar, Hoxha